Fr. Kazimierz Stankowski SVD (1930-2009)

      Father Kazimierz Stankowski died due to a hard disease on June 16^th 2009 at 0:45 a.m. in the city hospital in Grudziądz, at the age of 79.

      He was born on January 1^st 1930 in Mały Głęboczek, District of Brzoza, the former Brodnica County. “Chronicle of priestly and religious vocations in Brodnica on Drwęca and the surroundings in the years 1926-1996” (which was published by the Franciscans OFM in 1998 at the 700^th anniversary of Brodnica) commemorates him among other religious priests. His parents- Julian and Bronisława, nee Wiśniewska, were farmers.

      Now let us have the Deceased speak:

      I finished my primary education after the second year because of the war that broke out at that time; I did not attend school during the German occupation. In 1945 I started attending the Brodnica gymnasium, after having passed- nearly by miracle- the entrance examination. A year later (1946) I went to the SVD gymnasium in Górna Grupa. I passed the final exams (only after the ordination) in Nysa, in “Carolinum” (in 1958).

      After I had accomplished the study of philosophy and theology I was ordained priest in the Divine word Seminary in Pieniężno on August 19^th 1956. Afterwards, I went through a kind of parish work training and then continued study- it was the Polish philology that time- at the Catholic University of Lublin (1958-1963). (He wrote his master thesis with the title: Simple sentences in the poetry of Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński).

      I had close ties with Brodnica not so much because of my origin, but because of many close, kind relations with the people there. My home village was so much dependent on everything that was going on in the Brodnica county center. In Brodnica itself there lived a lot of  family members and friends. It is there that I served as an altar boy under the guidance of Fr. Tadeusz Borcz; I was also a scout with Konrad Cherk as my superior. I belong to the Society of the Brodnica Region Lovers. In general, I am slightly in love with Brodnica”.

      So much from “Chronicle of priestly and religious vocations in Brodnica on Drwęca …”.

      After he had accomplished the study at the Catholic University of Lublin in 1963 Fr. Stankowski was assigned to work in the Divine Word Seminary in Pieniężno. He spent 16 years there. That was surely the most important and the most creative period of his life. From the beginning he had lectures in linguistics, study methodology, catechesis. As a brilliant speaker, he was also a professor of rhetoric and homiletics. He had the job of the dean of studies, as well, mission secretary and vocational director. He was editor of the newsletter “Verbinum”. First of all, however, he was rector of the Divine Word Seminary for two terms of office. For many terms he was a provincial councilor and vice-provincial- assistant of three provincials (of Fr. Szymański, Fr. Bernard Bona and Fr. Alfons Labudda).

      In the years 1979-1984 he was superior of the provincial house in Warsaw. For the following 5 years he stayed in Lublin, and then 9 years in Laskowice Pomorskie, mainly as editor of our magazines and other publications. In 1998 he asked to have him transferred to Górna Grupa, where we have a ward for our senior and sick confreres. As much as his health condition allowed, he was still active in various fields. In the last few years his diabetes had become hard to bear. He even had his foot amputated. In spite of that, he was full of optimism. He even learned to move around all by himself with help of an artificial limb. A sudden dysfunction of his kidneys and his heart growing weaker and weaker finally put an end to his long and abundant life.

      Fr. Stankowski was a man of many talents- he was extremely intelligent, eloquent and widely read. He never parted from books, until the end of his life. He was a hardworking man. He had many dispositions that somehow destined him for leading positions. He was quick at making decisions. He used to say that a bad decision is better than none. I think that the Polish Province of the Society of the Divine Word owes to him very much.  

                  Lord Jesus, give him eternal rest!  

Pieniężno, 16^th of June 2009.      Fr. Alfons Labudda SVD